Pondswicks Close

The private dwelling, set in a secluded wooded glade close to St Albans Abbey, boasts a unique living roof installed by Sky Garden, using EdgeGuard retention angles.

The house is situated on a scheduled ancient monument site. As a result, the design was subject to intense planning scrutiny, with the proposals requiring approval from Historic England.

Following six years of negotiations a plan was approved, with a living roof set as an essential precondition for approval. Specialist living roof design and installation company Sky Garden was chosen to deliver the project.

The contours of the roof mirror the natural surroundings of the house, with the roof described as a “complex, organic design with few straight edges” by Sky Garden Operations Manager Bruce Perry.

To make this intricate design a reality, Sky Garden chose EdgeGuard – a completely flexible aluminium retention angle solution used to separate different roof garden materials. It is available in a wide range of sizes, with flexible options and unique connectors to suit almost any living roof application.

175m of 100mm EdgeGuard aluminium retention angles surround the perimeter of the living roof, preserving its unique appearance, and maintaining the integrity of the gravel fire breaks.

With such a high-profile project subject to the scrutiny of discerning clients, observant TV producers and eagle-eyed planners, attention to detail was key. So each length of EdgeGuard was delivered to the site pre-coated in RAL ‘Jet Black’ – the chosen colour for the design.

Thanks to EdgeGuard, this grand design has a sustainable living roof worthy of its architecturally significant location.